Mission San Jose Elementary School Shines at the Calchess Scholastic Chess Championships

Coach Joe’ Report on the 2018 Calchess Scholastic State Championships (Photography by Hui Wang):

The 2018 Northern California Scholastic Chess Championships were held the weekend of April 7th & 8th at the Santa Clara convention center. Over 1200 students and more the 50 schools competed in these championships.  Mission San Jose Elementary school (MSJE) of Fremont was the big winner in the Elementary School Division. The MSJE Chess Team won two of the three major elementary school sections (K-3 & K-6) and Kevin Pan won the overall individual elementary school championship.

The top elementary school section at these championships is the K-6 Championship Division. Kevin Pan scored five wins in six rounds and took the first-place trophy. Other members of the MSJE team were Stephen He (4/6), Nicholas Jiang (4/6), Aidan Chen (3.5/6), and Nivedha Maniv (3/6). In the fourth round Aidan Chen won a critical game versus Weibel. This was the eighth straight year that MSJE has taken home the first place trophy in K-6.

The K-5 Championship section is the second highest elementary school section at the State Scholastic Chess Championships. This section was created in 2007 to give elementary schools without a grade 6 a fair chance to win a championship section. MSJE has won this section every year since it was created. Both MSJE and Weibel entered strong teams in the K5 Championship section. The MSJE team was led by Aghilan Nachiappan (5/6 2nd place) and Allyson Wong (4.5/6 8th place). The Weibel team scored 17 points and beat the MSJE team (16.5) by the smallest possible margin. Other top scorers on the MSJE K-5 team were Viabhav Wudaru (3.5/6 #19), Siddharth Arulta (3.5/6 #21) Arnav Lingannagari (3.5/6 #24), and Ayaan Kassamali (3.5/6 #27).  Jolene Liu, Saidivy Tunguturu, Aditya Sujay, Vividh Goenka, Mihit Puvvula, and Arna Gupta also competed for our K-5 team.

The K-3 Championship section is often called the primary school championship.  MSJE won the first-place team trophy in this section every year since 2008. In 2018 MSJE once again took home the first-place trophy in K-3 Championship.  Our K-3 team was led by first grader Lucas Jiang (4.5/6 #4), third grader Kayden jiang (4/6 #9) Jason Liu (3.5/6 #14) and Aditya Arulta (3.5/6 #19).  First graders Artham Pawar and Arnam Pawar also competed for our championship K-3 team.

MSJE also did very well in the other sections.  Isha Vanungare, Sarvesh Maniv, and Aditya Vanungare competed in the Kindergarten section and took home the third-place team trophy.  Neil Kumar, Prisha Agarwal, Pranav Rajit, Ranga Ramanujam, Edward Zeng, Dhritee Desia, Ashwin Jagan, Ruthvik Arumalla, SHreeya Hule, Shrihan Bolla, Kerrthana Gudi, and Aaditya Bisht competed in the K-3 beginner section.  Allen Yang, Swagatha Selvam, Pratyush Hule,  Ashwin Marimuthu, Zahaan Kassamali, Avkash Panwar, and Meghana Satish competed in the K-3 JV section.  Ardash Swamy, Nityasri Kolta, Maurya Arumalla and Pratyush Hule competed in the K-6 JV  section.

Congratulations to the Chess team for a great showing at the State championships.

Chess Coaches: Joe Lonsdale, Terry & Cathy Liu, Meiyaps Sathappan, Nachi Aghilan, and Chris Torres

The MSJE Chess Team’s Dynasty Continues at the 2014 Calchess Super States

MSJE Head Coach Joe Lonsdale Reports on the 2014 Calchess Super States

 

A proud head coach poses with the State Championship Kindergarten team from MSJE.

The 2014 Northern California Scholastic Chess Championships were held the weekend of April 26^th and 27^th at the Santa Clara convention center.  Over 600 students and more the 50 schools competed in these championships.  Mission San Jose Elementary school (MSJE) of Fremont was the big winner in the Elementary School Division.  MSJE swept all of the Championships sections and won many of the Junior varsity sections and rookie sections.

The closest and most exciting championship was the Kindergarten (K) section.  Saint Marks School of San Rafael entered a nine player team in the K section.  The MSJE team won first place with 13 points versus 12.5 points by Saint Marks.  St Marks has been a scholastic powerhouse for more than 25 years.  Shreyas Jay lead the MSJE team with four wins out of five games.  Shreyas won his first four games and was playing for the state championship in the last round.  Shreyas lost in the last round but he still tied for third place.  Siddharth Arutla, Ayaan Kassamali, and Yiwen Gong each scored three points and tied for 12^th place.  Jolene Liu, Zachery Easow, Vivdh Goenka, and Jasper Li also competed for the team.  All of our kindergarten students won trophies.

The top elementary school section at these championships is the 4-6 Championship Division.  MSJE won the section with 18.0 points versus 11.5 points for the second place school. (Bullis Charter school of Los Altos.) MSJE also beat all of the chess clubs (Teams made up of players from numerous schools) in this section.  The individual 4-6 championship came down to two MSJE players.  3^rd grader Rishith Susarla (Who was “playing up” in the 4-6 section) was in second place with four wins and a draw.  David Pan was in first place with five wins.  Usually teammates do not play each other, but this prohibition is eliminated in the last round for the top players.  David won the final game vs. Rishith to finish with a perfect 6-0 score and won the individual Championship and the title on Northern CA Elementary School Chess Champion.  Rishith tied for fourth place.   Annapoorni Meiyappan (another third grader playing up) scored four points, won a trophy, and tied for 9^th place.  Kevin Zhu scored 3.5 points and won a trophy.  Andy Tong, Max Wang, and Sriram Bharadwaj also competed for the MSJE 4-6 Championship team.

Calchess President Tom Langland with MSJE head coach Joes Lonsdale and the k-5 State Championship Team from MSJE.

The 4-5 Championship section was also won by the MSJE team by a large margin.  MSJE scored 16.5 points versus 6 points for Marin School of Marin the second place school.  This score tied MSJE with the first place club, Berkeley Chess School.  Berkeley Chess School runs chess programs at more than 50 schools and their team is an all-star team from these schools.  Kavya Sasikumar was top scorer on the MSJE K-5 team.  Kavya scored five wins in six games and tied for second place.  Jeffrey Liu and Mihir Bhuptani each scored four points, tied for seventh place, and won trophies.  Jaisuraj Kaleeswaran scored 3.5 points and Alex Liu scored 3 points.  Both Jaisuraj and Alex won trophies.

The 4-6 JV (junior varsity) section is for players with ratings below 800 and above 500.  The top 12 MSJE players were playing in 4-6 championship or 4-5 championship sections.  None of the competing schools in the 4-6 JV section had more than one or two players in the championship sections.  Also MSJE only had three players in the 4-6 JV section.  The team score is the sum of the scores of the top four players on each team.  Despite these handicaps the MSJE team of Siddharth Mukherjee, Alvin Lee, and Nivedha won the first place team trophy in 4-6 JV.  Siddharth scored a perfect 5/5 and won the first place trophy.  Alvin scored 3.5/5 and won the 7^th place trophy.  Nivedha scored 3/5 and won the 23^rd place trophy.

The 4-6 rookie section is for players that do not have a rating.  There were several three and four player teams in this section.  Saharsh Goenka and Kevin Ma were the only two MSJE players in this section.  Kevin and Saharsh won all of their games until they had to face each other in the last round.  (Again the prohibition against team members playing is removed in the last round for the top of the ladder.)  Saharsh won the all MSJE game and the first place trophy.  Kevin tied for second place with four wins.  MSJE won the first place team trophy in the 4-6 rookie section.  I believe that this is the first time that a two player team has won first place in any division.

MSJE won the K-3 Championship section with 15 points versus 9.5 points for second place Gomes Elementary of Fremont.  Kevin Pan won his first five games and was playing for the individual championship in the last round.  Kevin lost the game, but still tied for second place and won a large trophy.  Atul Thirumalai scored four points, won a trophy, and tied for 8^th place. Leo Jiang, Stephen He, and Amulya Harish scored 3 points, won trophies and tied for 25^th place.  Allyson Wong, Arnav Lingannagari, Edwin Thomas, Henry Liu, Shree Jay, and Maxwell Yu also competed for the K-3 Championship team.

The k-3 Calchess State Champions from Mission San Jose Elementary School.

The 1-3 JV section is for players with ratings between 500 and 799.  MSJEs top 13 1-3 players were playing in higher sections (4-6 Championship and 1-3 Championship).  Most of the schools competing in the 1-3 JV section had very few students playing in higher sections.  MSJE won the 1-3 JV section with 13.5 points vs. St Marks with 10.5 points.  Nicholas Jiang won his first four games and was playing for first place in the last round.  Nicholas drew his game and finished in second place.  Vasu Rao, Dhruv Susheelkar, and Carolyn McNay scored three points, tied for 13^th place and won trophies.

The 1-3 beginner section is for players with ratings under 500.  Vaibhav Wudaru won all five of his games and tied for first place. Evan Yang and Jack Lee each won three games and won trophies.  Suhan Khan, Lillian Ma, Soham Patti, and Varun Rao also competed for our 1-3 beginner team which took the third place team trophy.

The 1-3 rookie division is the division for players that have not played in a tournament before.  Sandeep Salwan tied for first place in this section with 5 wins out of five games. Monish Jonnadula and Aditi Sagi each scored 4 points, tied for fourth place and won trophies.  Chris Liu also competed for our 1-3 rookie team which won the first place team trophy.

Congratulations to the MSJE chess team for a great result at the State Championships.  In two weeks much of the team will be in Dallas competing in the Elementary School National Championships.

 

Don’t forget to sign up for the annual Fremont Summer Chess Camp at MSJE. 

 

Calchess Super States 2014

The first day of the 2014 Calchess Super States is complete. Tournament directors, players, coaches and parents can relax for a few hours before chess battles starts again in the morning. Below, I give my readers a brief recap of the day’s highlights as well as some photographs I took when I wasn’t analyzing students’ chess games.

For the first time ever, the Calchess Scholastic State Championships was run by a woman and she did the best job I have ever witnessed in my sixteen years of attending. Congratulations Judit Sztaray on a job well done and good luck with tomorrow’s rounds.

Mission San Jose Elementary School dominated the field in all the elemnetary aged sections on day one of the Joe Lonsdale(k-6) Championship. MSJE is again proving itself to be the best program in Norcal chess.

“Analysis is the breakfast, lunch and dinner of champions.” -Chris Torres

 

 

The Fremont Summer Chess Camp at Mission San Jose Elementary School is a once in a lifetime opportunity for your child to take classes with the best chess teachers in the United States and train with the 2013 National Elementary Chess Champions. This year, our camp will also feature instruction from GM Susan Polgar as well as many other distinguished special guests. The Fremont Summer Chess Camp at Mission San Jose Elementary School is filling up quickly, so be sure to sign up soon to ensure a spot for your child.

Calchess Super States

The Calchess Super States is an enormous event that can be confusing for veteran chess parents and downright overwhelming for the newbies. Below is what you need to know to survive the weekend. As the event progresses, return to this blog for unique analysis and articles about the 2014 Calchess Super State Championships.

 

The Calchess Super States is an enormous event!

 

First check and make sure your child is listed here: http://bayareachess.com/events/14/states2627-alpha/

 

Second read this: “Information directly from Judit Sztaray”

 

Third: Be sure to take advantage of free game analysis by TCAMA coaches on site at the 2014 Calchess Super States. For more information on our coaches please visit www.ChessAndMusic.com

 

Be sure to take advantage of free game analysis by TCAMA coaches.

 

 

Information directly from Judit Sztaray

Location:

The event will take place in Santa Clara Convention Center.

The address is:  5001 Great America Pkwy, Santa Clara, CA 95054. You can park for free in the parking lot located right next to the building. Enter the parking lot from Great America, right after the Hotel Hyatt. I suggest you park on the top of the deck, where there is a direct walkway to the 2^nd floor of the Center (where the team rooms are located.)
When you enter the building from the parking deck, you’ll find first the team rooms, and take the escalator down, to get to the 3 main Halls (2 game rooms and the parent’s room.)

If you enter the building from the main entrance, the tournament rooms and registration desk is just ahead, to the right from the entrance.

 

What to do when we get there?

The first thing you should do is to check your child(ren)’s registration. There will be a sign on the wall saying Check Registration here. No need to go to registration desk prior checking your child(ren)’s name on the posted list.

If you have pre-registered, your name should be on this list. Please check for name, grade and school/team information.

If everything is correct, you are good to go and get ready for the first round.

Should any of the information be incorrect, then, and only then, please see the Registration desk.

Also, if you see any $ sign next to your name, please see Registration desk, because that indicates that you have not made all necessary payments.

 

If you have NOT pre-registered, please see the Registration desk for on-site registration. Please note the followings:

On-site registrations will be allowed, however, on-site registered player is NOT guaranteed a game in Round 1, and will be defaulted be given a zero point bye for the first round.

 

Please, remember your section, with the time control, you’ll have an easy time to locate your room with that information.

If you forgot your section, you can always look it up in the Master Alphabetical List.

 

Tournament rooms:

The tournaments will take place in 3 different rooms. The sections are assigned to rooms based on their TIME CONTROL:

 

All sections under 800 – both Saturday and Sunday – with G/30 d5 time control will be held in Hall A3. The round times for these sections are: 10am, 12pm, 1:30pm, 3pm, and 4:30pm.

 

All two-day sections above 800+ with G/75 d5 time control will be held in Hall A2. The round times for these sections are: Saturday 9am, 12pm, 3pm, and Sunday 9am, 12pm, and 3pm.

 

Gr 7-12 Championship section (1600+) with G/90+30 time control will be held in Great America 3. Round times for this section are: Saturday 9am, 1:30pm, 6pm, and Sunday 9:30am, and 2pm.

 

 

Parents:

Parents’ room is Hall A1, where we have many chairs and tables set up for your convenience. There are bathrooms and concession stand is located in this room. The trophy ceremonies will also take place in this room in the far right corner around the podium.

 

Teams:

Team rooms are located in the second floor just left to the escalators. Room numbers 202-207.

 

Rounds

Pairings will be posted both inside, and outside of the Tournament rooms, and also there will be a copy posted in the parent’s room as well.

If you have any trouble understanding the pairing sheet, please, see a BayAreaChess Volunteer and ask them to explain.

Every board will need to fill out a Result Slip of their game. Please, explain this to your child so that they come prepared. These rules will be also explained by the TDs inside the tournament rooms, before the rounds.

 

 

Trophies, Medals and Ceremonies

Trophy ceremony will be held on Saturday at 6pm for the Saturday 1-day sections, Sunday at 6pm for the Sunday 1-day sections and Sunday at 6:30pm for the 2-day sections. Everyone is entitled to get a medal for their participation, so please, even if you do not get a trophy, make sure you pick up your medal J next to the trophy table. A parent volunteer will be able to help you.

 

Food:

No outside food is allowed in the Convention Center. I know from personal experience as a parent, it is very hard to follow this rule, however, we must ask you to try your best so that we can continue to use this location in the future.

We have contracted two food vendors: Peet’s coffee cart and Concession Stand in Hall A1. Peet’s Cart will be open from 8:30am to 12:30pm and the Concession Stand will be open from 11am to 3pm, both days. I have told them to be prepared and expect a lunch rush of pizzas and kids’ friendly menu items around 11am, just after the 1^st round before the 2^nd round.

T-shirt:

If you registered before March 15th and selected the free T-shirt, or if you have purchased a T-shirt online, please pick up yours at the T-shirt stand located opposite to Hall A-3 in the corner, next to the entrance of the building. Our volunteers, Becky and Leigh, will be waiting for you there.

You can also purchase T-shirts there for $20.

 

Need help? Have questions?

General rule: if you have any questions or need help, please find anybody wearing either a name-tag, or a Director BayAreaChess T-shirt. They will be able to direct you to the best person answer your questions.

Anything tournament/game related questions, the computer TDs and the Chief TD, Tom Langland, will be answering.

Anything payment, technical, event or site-related, the BayAreaChess staff and volunteers will be able to help you.

 

Contact:

If you have any questions before, during or after the tournament, email us to: ask@bayareachess.com

You can also reach Judit on 919-265-7560 if you need immediate assistance.

 

 

For the Players:

1. Consult the pairings chart to find out color, opponent, and board number for your game. The posted pairing chart will look something like the one on the right.

Player	Color	Opponent	Board
Azhar, Aamir	White vs.	Langland, Jorda (999)	on board 1
Azhar, Arman	Black vs.	Langland, Steel (900)	on board 2
Langland, Jorda	Black vs.	Azhar, Aamir (1500)	on board 1
Langland, Steel	White vs.	Azhar, Arman (400)	on board 2

 

1. Look for your name in the first column. This row with your name tells you the color of your pieces, your opponent’s name, and the board number.
2. In the example, one player is directed to “See TD” because the section has an odd number of players. If you see this next to your name, please wait next to the computer TD area.
3. As you enter the player area, please locate your board by the assigned board number.
4. Once you locate your board, double check your opponent’s name and assigned color of pieces!
5. Please be in your seat ready to go, at least 10 minutes before the round starts (example: you should be at your board by 8:50am for the 9am round each morning!)
6. Directors and volunteers will ask all adults to leave the playing room before games begin in every round.
7. Please comply promptly and efficiently.
8. Inform your child (player) where you will meet him or her when s/he completes the game.
9. If you are taking care of a Kindergartner, please remain near, but outside the playing area. We will only allow Kindergartners to leave if there is an adult present to receive him/her.
10. Non-players in the playing hall must observe pin-drop silence. The slightest noise will prompt removal.
11. Players, when you are done with your game:
12. Report your result to the TD and reset the board.
13. Go to the Scorers’ table and report your result there as well.
14. Players may only use restrooms in the lobby during their games and non-players are not allowed there. Please go to the restroom a few minutes before every round.
15. If you need to miss a round, please let the TD know ASAP so you are not dropped.
16. If you need help at any time, please stop by at the Information Desk. They will attempt to resolve all issues.

 

Don’t forget to sign up for the Fremont Summer Chess Camp at Mission San Jose Elementary School which will feature instruction from GM Susan Polgar!

 

 

Joe Lonsdale’s Legacy to Northern California

Santa Clara, California (PRWEB) April 24, 2014

A TCAMA Instructor is Receiving the Greatest Honor Ever Bestowed on a Chess Coach from the Governing Body of Northern California Chess

 

On Saturday, April 26, while many people are still asleep, elementary school children will turn out in mass to play chess in the largest State Championship chess event on the West Coast. The k-6 section is projected to have more than 500 children and starting this year, Calchess has officially renamed their Elementary State Scholastic Championship the, “Joe Lonsdale Championship.”

Joe Lonsdale takes a moment to enjoy another Championship with MSJE students.

 

Joe Lonsdale established the Mission San Jose Elementary School Chess team in 1990 for the benfit of his oldest son and has been running the program ever since. Mission San Jose Elementary School has made a habit of winning almost every State Championship title in California that they are eligible to play for and Joe’s success as the MSJE head coach is really what put Fremont Chess on the map. In fact, Joe has lead the MSJE chess team to more state championship titles than all the other schools in Northern California combined. So it is fitting that, this year, to honor Joe’s unparalleled success as a scholastic chess coach, Calchess has decided to rename the Calchess Elementary Scholastic State Championship after Joe Lonsdale.

“Joe Lonsdale successful approach to teaching chess produced the first elementary school team in the history of California to win the National Championship and the first to ever repeat the feat. Joe’s only critics are those who try and emulate his success but of course lack the chess knowledge and finesse that Joe brings to every chess class. Sadly, instead of learning from the master himself, some people would rather spend their time creating discord in the Norcal scholastic chess scene. I, however, am honored to work with and learn from Joe Lonsdale on a weekly basis. Teaching with Joe Lonsdale has been the most educational and rewarding experience of my chess career.”-Chris Torres(President of the Torres Chess and Music Academy)

After coaching his students all weekend long at the state championship named after him, Joe Lonsdale will take a short break from his chess instructing obligations before showing up to the Fremont Summer Chess Camp at Mission San Jose Elementary School. On a daily basis during the month of July, Joe Lonsdale will make sure his students are preparing for the next school year’s chess battles. It is this kind of dedication from a head coach that is the main reason that Mission San Jose Elementary School has been the best school chess program in Northern California for decades. Joe’s influence on Norcal chess extends well beyond Mission San Jose Elementary School and children from any school or club are more than welcome to register for the Fremont Summer Chess Camp at Mission San Jose Elementary School by visiting the Torres Chess and Music Academy online.

Original Press Release: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/04/prweb11787104.htm

Calchess Scholastic Super State Championship: Preview 2

Throughout its 39 year history, there have been many great leaders who organized the Calchess Scholastic State Championships. Each of them has led with unique talents and in different circumstances. Tonight I present to you my brief interview with one of the best chess promoters in the history of California chess, Salman Azhar.

One of the best chess promoters in the history of California chess, Salman Azhar.

 

(For ease of reading, Salman’s answers to my questions are in bold)

When did you first learn how to move the chess pieces?

I first learned to move the pieces when I was four. My father and brother taught me how to play chess.

Why did you decide to get your boys involved in chess?

My oldest son started to learn chess Weibel and at a class taught by you. He was inspired by you and his other teachers and joined Weibel Chess team and went on to win many state championships for himself and help Weibel keep its winning streak alive in 2004.

Congratulations on Aamir(Salman’s oldest son) being recently accepted to Duke, Berkeley, and other schools. Do you feel chess has helped him in his scholastic career?

Chess has definitely helped him develop his analytic skills and logical thinking. He lost interest in competitive chess some time ago because he was targeted by some parents and coaches due to local chess politics.

Who first convinced you to start organizing tournaments?

Dr. Alan Kirshner hand picked me to run tournaments and was instrumental in my success. I owe much of what I have learned about organizing tournaments to Dr. Kirshner.

Why do you think Alan chose you?

I believe he said I was a, “combination of someone who is thorough and also who can interact with the people in a professional way.” I am honored to be his protege. 

A happy Alan Kirshner standing with Salman Azhar at the 36th Calchess Scholastic State Championship.

This will be your seventh consecutive year organizing the Calchess Scholastic State Championships . What have you learned from running this tournament?

<smiling> As Richard Shorman said, “You will know the true nature of people.” I have learned a lot about human psychology and behavior and also developed the courage to do the right thing regardless of personal gain, external threats, financial temptations, and other things that cause many good people to lose your integrity.

Your name has become synonymous with quality tournaments. How has that changed your life?

There are many excellent organizers all over the world and I have a lot to learn. However, I do enjoy people coming up to me in restaurants, grocery stores, business meetings, and other places to express their appreciations. It helps me sleep better at night that I have given something back to the community that has given me so much.

One of your detractors was an individual who used to be your mentor and most vocal supporter. Why do you think that is?

I cannot speculate on someone else’s intentions but I have a lot of respect for him and have learned from him. I hope some day we overcome local adult politics and realize that scholastic chess is about children.

What is your advice to parents who have children who are currently attending Weibel Elementary School?

I don’t like to advise people who don’t ask for advice but I have always welcomed Weibel players and their parents at my tournaments. They should rise above the local chess politics and do what is best for their child(ren).

Why have you decided to rename the Calchess Scholastic State Championships the Calchess Super States?

This is patterned after National Super States indicating that it is a championship sections encompassing all grade levels. Many other states have separate elementary, junior high, and high school champions or Super States where all sections are in the same tournament.

Why do you think that you have become the most popular tournament organizer in the history of California chess?

You are a great danger to my desire to be humble, aren’t you? I see many shortcomings in every tournament I run and perhaps recognize them with humility so that I can improve the next time. This pholosophy has made me get better.

I am honored to be respected by this community and feel that honor is largely due to heeding Dr. Richard Feynman’s advise: “So I have just one wish for you – the good luck to be somewhere where you are free to maintain the kind of integrity I have described, and where you do not feel forced by a need to maintain your position in the organization, or financial support, or so on, to lose your integrity. May you have that freedom.”

What is the funniest moment you have ever experienced while running a chess tournament?

Most of them center around children trying to get out of touch move rule but the funniest was a child whose excuse was that he accidentally picked up the King to dig his nose.

What advice would you give to someone who plans on running their first large chess tournament?

Run small tournaments first and have a person who has run large tournaments watch your back when you run your first one. That his how my mentor and friend, Dr. Alan Kirshner, taught me.

You are also heavily involved in the High-tech industry? How do you think technology will change scholastic chess tournaments? What will a chess tournament look like in 20 years?

Yes, I am. I think computer analysis has already influenced the development of players. I think it is changing interactive teaching as well. Coaches like you are using iPads in their class. All this will help players get stronger much faster. However, I am concerned about taking the fun out of the experience of learning. 

I also think we will also see more online play but nothing can replace the social aspect of coming together physically for a tournament or a class.

For more information on this years tournament, please refer to “Calchess Scholastic Super State Championship: Preview 1.”

 

Calchess Scholastic Super State Championship: Preview 1

Salman Azhar returns to organize the Calchess Scholastic State Championship for a record setting seventh straight year!

Without a doubt, the best scholastic chess tournament in Northern California for the past six years has been the Calchess Scholastic State Championship. Every Spring, nearly one thousand school aged chess players compete in a single weekend of matches to determine who the best chess players and school chess teams are in Northern California. In its 2014 incarnation, Salman Azhar (www.BayAreaChess.com) returns to organize the event for a record setting seventh straight year. For 2014, he has even added a club section for children who participate regular chess groups but do not have a school team to call their own. With the addition of the club section, Salman Azhar believes that this year’s event may be the biggest yet and definitely deserves to be known as the “Calchess Scholastic Super State Championship.”

This year’s tournament has some changes in schedule and structure that I would be remiss if I did not mention. The most apparent change is that the Calchess Junior High State Championships will take place two weeks before the main event in order to allow for Middle School Aged Students to attend the National Junior High School Chess Championships. Another development to be aware of is that all championship sections, excluding kindergarten, will play a two day event in order to allow the higher rated chess players more time to play better chess. However, players of all ages who have lower ratings will only be required to show up for one day of competition. This makes sense because less experienced players tend to play faster and have less time to devote to chess.

This year’s k-6 section will be named the “Lonsdale Championship” after the MSJE head coach, Joe Lonsdale.

The Torres Chess and Music Academy will once again be encouraging all of it’s students to participate in this event. For decades, Mission San Jose Elementary School (a Torres Chess and Music Academy program) has been the most dominant school at the State Championship and this year’s k-6 section will be named the “Lonsdale Championship” after the MSJE head coach, Joe Lonsdale.  For more on Joe Lonsdale and Mission San Jose Elementary School’s successes please visit www.ChessAndMusic.com or search past articles on this blog.

Below is the official schedule for the 2014 Calchess Scholastic State Championships. If your child is lucky enough to be a student at a Torres Chess and Music Academy program you can just download the correct application from this page and submit it to your child’s chess coach. I will personally make sure that your child is placed into the correct sections. If you are not affiliated with TCAMA you should visit www.Calchess.org and apply online.

The 2014 Calchess Super State Championship Schedule is as follows:

For players in grades 6-8 with ratings under 1200:

Sunday April 13 at Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport

For players in grades 6-8 with ratings at or above 1200:

Saturday April 12 and Sunday April 13 at Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport

download application

 

For players with rating under 800 and Kindergarten:

Sat April 26 for grades 1-3 at the Santa Clara Convention Center

Sun April 27 for Kindergarten at the Santa Clara Convention Center

Sun April 27 Grades 4-6 at the Santa Clara Convention Center

Sun April 27 Grades 9-12 at the Santa Clara Convention Center

 

download application

 

For players with ratings at or above 800 excluding Kindergarten and Middle School:

April 26-27 at the Santa Clara Convention Center

 

download application

 

 

For more information on this tournament, please visit www.Calchess.org.

 

To find out more about the Torres Chess and Music Academy, please visit www.ChessAndMusic.com

 

 

 

 

 

Chris Torres: A Chess Coach, a Music Teacher, and an Advocate for Quality Education.

Chris Torres has been successfully managing and creating school chess programs for his entire adult life. His most recognized accomplishments include the co-founding of Success Chess Schools, the creation of the Torres Chess and Music Academy and consistently coaching the best young chess players in California for 15 years.

Chris found himself drawn into chess education in 1998 when

Chris Torres is California’s chess coach.

Dr. Alan Kirshner needed a replacement teacher for his famous Weibel Chess Club. Chris was an obvious choice beause he had been teaching Alan’s son classical guitar and often played chess with the Kirshners. Soon after joining a group of chess instructors at Weibel, Chris coached his first state champion student. Copying from the success of the Weibel Chess Club, Chris went on to establish State Champion chess programs at Argonaut Elementary School in Saratoga and the Harker School in San Jose. Shortly later, Alan Kirshner promoted Chris to Vice President of Success Chess and Chris turned all of his independently run programs over to the newly formed nonprofit.

As vice president of Success Chess, Chris Torres established chess programs and taught chess at schools all around the Bay Area. Many of the schools still have chess programs to this day. Some of these chess programs are at: Warm Springs Elementary School(Fremont), Leitch Elementary School(Fremont), Mission Valley Elementary School(Fremont), Ardenwood Elementary School(Fremont), Gomes Elementary School(Fremont), Blue Hills Elementary School(Cupertino), Collins Elementary School(Cupertino), Dilworth Elementary School(Cupertino), Muir Elementary School(Cupertino), Regnart Elementary School(Cupertino) Matsumoto Elementary School(San Jose), Meyerholz Elementary School(San Jose), Silver Oak Elementary School(San Jose), Covington Elementary School(Los Altos), Duveneck Elementary School(Palo Alto), Palo Verde Elementary School(Palo Alto), International School of the Peninsula(Palo Alto), Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School(Palo Alto),  Laurel Elementary School(Atherton), Las Lomitas Elementary School(Atherton), John Muir Elementary School(San Bruno), Crestmoor Elementary School(San Bruno), Dougherty Elementary School(Dublin) and quite a few other schools. During his time at Success Chess, Chris Torres also became a notable tournament director and a board member for Calchess. Through Success Chess, Chris Torres was able to achieve his goals of bringing scholastic chess to children all over the Bay Area.

After leaving Success Chess Schools in 2004, Chris Torres spent several months working for Richard Peterson of the Chess Education Association. After the school year concluded, Richard suggested to Chris that he set up his own organization and offered to sell all of the chess equipment from the CEA at a discount price. A couple months later, the Torres Chess and Music Academy was born.

Through the Torres Chess and Music Academy, Chris Torres has brought world class instruction to California’s most talented young chess minds. Some of his accomplishments included running a “Chess Study” with the Kern County Superintendent of the Schools and U.C. Berkeley from 2006-2008. In addition to the study, Chris was able to educate the children in Kern County’s migrant farm worker community in chess and even coach them to prestigious Southern California regional chess titles. In the Bay Area, Chris was able to instruct several individual National Chess Champions as well as coach for the Mission San Jose Elementary School chess team alongside Joe Lonsdale, which in 2009 and 2013 took first place at the USCF Super Nationals Chess Championship. To date, no other elementary school from California has ever placed first in the Elementary Championship division of the USCF Super Nationals.

Acknowledged today as a pioneer in the field of chess and education, Chris Torres has been invited to speak at numerous educational forums and events. Aside from his reputation as a successful chess teacher, Chris is also known throughout the Silicon Valley as a top notch classical guitarist who still finds time to teach groups of youngsters the enjoyment of playing classical music.

Biggest No-Brainer in Scholastic Chess

This Monday will start the final week of the Fremont Chess Camp at Mission San Jose Elementary School. For only $185, your child can spend the week studying chess at the most successful school chess program in the United States. Our coaches for the final week include Francisco Anchondo, James Paquette, Joe Lonsdale and Chris Torres. The camp will consist of players from the Mission San Jose National Championship Chess Team, several students who are Calchess State Champions and a large contingent of young players who are very serious about improving their chess. This is the last best chance for your child to receive the kind of chess training guaranteed to make a difference this summer. Don’t hesitate to sign up at the Torres Chess and Music Academy website or email questions to chesslessons@aol.com.

The Fremont Chess Camp at Mission San Jose Elementary School is where champions are made!

MSJE Chess Team Wins Big At State Championships (By Coach Joe)

MSJE Chess Team Wins Big At State Championships

Over 1,000 Northern California students competed in the Scholastic Chess Championships at the Santa Clara Convention Center the weekend of April 22^nd and 23^rd.   Mission San Jose Elementary School (MSJE) was the big winner in the Elementary School Section.  MSJE teams won all of the elementary school championship sections (K, K-3, 4-5, and 4-6).  Four MSJE graduates playing for Mission High School won the High School team championship.

The MSJE Kindergarten team was led by Kevin Pan who scored five wins in five games and won a large trophy and the title of Northern CA Kindergarten chess Champion.  Stephen He, Vasudeva Rao, Devansh Trivedi, Kevin Xu, and  Azlaan Khan also competed for the MSJE kindergarten team and won trophies. 

K-3 Championship

The primary school championship is the K-3 Championship division.  The MSJE K-3 team won first place by scoring more than twice the score of the second place team.  John Chan scored 5.5 points (five wins and one draw) and won a clear first place in this division.  He also won a large trophy and the title of Northern CA primary school chess champion.  First grader Rishith Susarla won four games and the ninth place trophy.  Tommy Koh and Luke Zhao each scored 3.5 points and won trophies.  Soorya Kuppam, Mihir Bhuptani, Lucas Sun, and Edison Zhang also competed for our K-3 championship team.

K-3 Junior varsity and other K-3 sections.

The K-3 junior varsity section, the K-3 booster and K-3 rookie sections are for grade 1 to 3 students that do not have the experience (or ratings) to play in the K-3 championship section.  Students with rating above 799 can only play in the K-3 championship section. The top eight MSJE grade one to three students (above) played in the K-3 championship section.  None of the teams we were competing against in the other K-3 sections had more than two children in the K-3 championship section.

Despite having our top eight players playing in K-3 championship MSJE still won the second highest K-3 section, K-3 junior varsity.

The MSJE K-3 JV team won the first place trophy with 12 points to 10 points for the second place team.  Edwin Thomas, Annapoorni Meiyappan, Jeffrey Liu, and Marcus Lee, each scored three points, won trophies, and tied for 14^th place in K-3 JV.  First graders Amulya Harish (2.5) and Henry Liu (2.0) also competed for our K-3 JV team.

Raymond Qian and Maxwell Yu each scored 4 points in the K-3 Booster section.  They each won trophies and tied for fifth place.  Jonathan Zhang, Connor Chen, Jack Lee, Trisha Jain, Azlaan Islam Khan, also competed in K-3 Booster section.  Alvin Lee, Diya Sen, and Balasura Balamungon competed in K-3 rookie. 

K-5 Championship

The top two elementary school sections are the K-5 Championship section and the K-6 Championship section.  MSJE won both of these sections by large margins.  In K-5 championship Amit Sant scored 4.5 points and tied for third place.  Drake Lin scored four points and tied for 6^th place.  Ian Wong, Kevin Zhu, Anjan Das, Edward Liu, Andy Tong, and Christopher Pan also competed for our K-5 championship team.

K-6 Championship Section

Alvin Kong, Eric Zhu, and Shalin Shah have been stars for the MSJE chess team since they were in kindergarten.  Two years ago Sayan Das earned his way onto the chess team and fought his way to the top of the ladder.  Suddenly we had four stars in one grade.  As has been typical, this group led the MSJE chess team to an overwhelming victory in the K-6 Championship section.  Shalin Shah and Sayan Das each scored five points and tied for second place.  Alvin Kong and Eric Zhu each scored 4.5 points and tied for third place.  Aditya Krishnan, Kavin Kumaravel, and Edward Liu also competed for the MSJE K-6 championship team.

K-6 Junior Varsity and other K-6 sections.

The top 13 MSJE 4-6 graders were playing in the championship sections.  None of the schools competing with us in the other K-6 sections had more than two students in championship sections.  Our K-6 Junior varsity team still took the second place team trophy.  Adrienne Tong scored 4.5 points, won a trophy, and tied for fourth place in the K-6 junior varsity section.  Nishant Yadav, Rajveer Oberoi, Parinith Rajkumar, Hiresh Jain, and Siddhar Mukherjee also competed for the MSJE K-6 junior varsity team.

The K-6 booster division is for players rated below 600.  In K-6 booster Sashank Rao scored a perfect five out of five won a large trophy and tied for first place.  Max Wang, and Jonathan Zhang each scored four points, won trophies, and tied for fourth place.  A chess team score is the score of the top four players on the team.  In the K-6 booster section our three player team took the first place trophy beating several teams of four or more players.

Aaron Mendoza and Baladithya Balamungon competed for MSJE in the K-6 rookie section.

Congratulations to the chess team for a tremendous victory at the 2012 state championships.

Chess Coaches

Joe Lonsdale   Chris Torres    Nimish Shah    Goutam Das   Div Harish